Written Answers Wednesday 2 September 2009

Scottish Executive

Economy

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it considers that the GDP growth rate will rise to the UK level by 2011.

John Swinney: The 2011 GDP growth target – to raise Scotland’s GDP growth rate to the UK level – is intended to address the long-term structural gap between GDP growth performance in Scotland and the UK.

  The gap in annual GDP growth rates (to the latest quarter) between Scotland and the UK has narrowed recently, as both economies have experienced a similar level of decline in output as a result of the economic downturn. However, the key determinant of performance over the remaining period to 2011 will be the shape of recovery in Scotland relative to the UK.

Economy

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis it considers that the gap between Scotland’s best and worst performing regions will narrow by 2017.

John Swinney: The Cohesion target, as set out in the Government Economic Strategy , is aimed at addressing the serious inequalities that exist between the economic performance of different regions within Scotland. The target seeks to narrow the gap in labour market participation between Scotland’s best and worst performing regions by 2017.

  Performance is measured through the gap in employment rates (for the working age population) between the three best performing local authority areas and the three worst performing local authority areas.

Electricity

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what new information it is considering in relation to the Beauly to Denny power line upgrade application since the Beauly Denny public inquiry closed.

Jim Mather: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21310 on 9 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Employment

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent was of Scottish Development International’s involvement with the TSC contact centre in Greenock at the time that the company announced its redundancies.

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent was of Scottish Enterprise’s involvement with the TSC contact centre in Greenock at the time that the company announced its redundancies.

Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise are still pursuing the objective of bringing alternative business to the TSC contact centre in Greenock.

Jim Mather: At the time of TSC’s announcement, Scottish Development International (SDI) and Scottish Enterprise (SE) were continuing to engage with the company in Greenock in order to minimise the impact of any potential job losses. Skills Development Scotland were alerted to this announcement and the PACE team was engaged to support staff during the consultation period.

  Ministers were also involved in speaking with senior management at the company and the Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism visited TSC’s European headquarters in Larbert on 14 April. SDI in India also met with high-level officials from TSC, including the chairman of TSC’s parent group.

  SDI and SE are still actively pursuing opportunities to bring alternative business to the TSC site in Greenock, with possible inward investor visits to the site taking place this month and SDI marketing, wherever possible, the availability of the Greenock site.

Employment

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the retail vacancy rate has been in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how retail vacancy rates in Scotland compare with those in England and Wales.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

Employment

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were in part-time work in each quarter of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

John Swinney: The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the primary source for information on local area labour markets and provides information on people working part-time.

  The tables below show the number of working age people who were in part-time work and the proportion of working age people employed who work part-time. The APS datasets are based on calendar quarters and are produced quarterly on a rolling annual basis (covering 12 months of data). Estimates from 2004 to 2008 are provided. The data for January to December 2008 are the most recent available.

  Number of working age people in part-time work and proportion of working age people employed who work part-time, 2004-08:

  2008

  

 
January 2008 to December 2008


Level Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time


Scotland
556,800
23.0%


Local Authority Area
 
 


Aberdeen City
27,300
25.2%


Aberdeenshire
29,100
23.9%


Angus
12,800
24.8%


Argyll and Bute
9,900
24.7%


Clackmannanshire
5,400
24.9%


Dumfries and Galloway
17,400
26.5%


Dundee City
17,800
28.1%


East Ayrshire
12,400
22.8%


East Dunbartonshire
11,100
22.7%


East Lothian
10,600
24.4%


East Renfrewshire
10,700
26.2%


Edinburgh, City of
51,900
21.5%


Eilean Siar 
3,000
24.6%


Falkirk
14,800
20.0%


Fife
39,900
23.5%


Glasgow City
47,600
18.7%


Highland
27,300
25.5%


Inverclyde
8,100
22.6%


Midlothian
10,400
26.9%


Moray
9,900
23.4%


North Ayrshire
13,600
23.2%


North Lanarkshire
30,500
21.1%


Orkney Islands
3,200
32.0%


Perth and Kinross
14,300
21.9%


Renfrewshire
18,600
23.1%


Scottish Borders, The
12,500
23.7%


Shetland Islands
3,100
26.3%


South Ayrshire
12,700
25.5%


South Lanarkshire
34,400
23.2%


Stirling
9,400
22.9%


West Dunbartonshire
9,200
22.6%


West Lothian
18,000
21.2%



  2007

  

 
January 2007 to
December 2007 
April 2007 to March 2008
July 2007 to June 2008
October 2007 to September 2008


Level Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time
Level Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time
Level Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time
Level Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time


Scotland
568,800
23.4%
566,400
23.3%
562,200
23.0%
560,800
22.9%


Local Authority Area
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Aberdeen City
24,400
22.7%
24,400
22.6%
24,200
22.5%
25,500
23.6%


Aberdeenshire
30,700
25.2%
28,500
23.5%
28,400
23.4%
28,700
23.6%


Angus
12,100
23.8%
12,200
23.8%
12,200
23.7%
12,900
25.1%


Argyll and Bute
10,700
25.9%
10,500
25.5%
10,700
26.1%
10,300
24.8%


Clackmannanshire
4,700
22.6%
5,000
23.8%
4,700
23.1%
4,900
23.1%


Dumfries and Galloway
18,300
27.5%
17,800
26.6%
17,900
26.3%
18,400
27.4%


Dundee City
16,300
25.6%
17,700
27.4%
17,800
27.9%
18,200
28.5%


East Ayrshire
12,200
23.0%
12,100
22.5%
11,500
21.0%
12,100
22.2%


East Dunbartonshire
12,300
24.7%
11,700
23.5%
11,500
23.2%
11,600
23.9%


East Lothian
10,900
24.8%
11,400
26.2%
11,700
26.5%
11,000
25.3%


East Renfrewshire
10,200
24.9%
10,700
25.8%
10,500
25.5%
10,700
25.9%


Edinburgh, City of
53,100
21.8%
49,800
20.7%
50,600
20.7%
48,900
20.0%


Eilean Siar 
3,400
28.2%
3,200
25.9%
3,000
24.8%
3,000
24.9%


Falkirk
17,700
24.3%
16,600
22.8%
15,900
21.6%
15,200
20.5%


Fife
40,000
23.7%
42,000
25.0%
41,300
24.6%
39,900
23.4%


Glasgow City
51,700
20.3%
54,500
20.9%
52,600
20.1%
49,500
19.1%


Highland
25,900
24.2%
26,700
24.4%
27,300
24.8%
27,100
24.8%


Inverclyde
7,900
23.4%
8,400
23.7%
8,100
22.5%
8,300
22.8%


Midlothian
10,200
26.1%
10,700
27.1%
10,100
26.0%
10,500
27.2%


Moray
9,300
22.5%
9,900
23.7%
9,700
23.2%
10,100
23.7%


North Ayrshire
15,200
25.9%
14,700
25.4%
14,000
24.7%
13,300
23.2%


North Lanarkshire
33,900
22.7%
32,500
22.1%
30,800
21.0%
32,400
22.2%


Orkney Islands
3,500
33.9%
3,300
33.2%
3,000
30.1%
3,400
32.7%


Perth and Kinross
14,700
22.6%
14,700
22.6%
15,000
22.7%
14,900
22.6%


Renfrewshire
19,500
24.6%
18,200
22.7%
18,800
23.3%
19,100
23.6%


Scottish Borders, The
12,600
23.8%
12,500
23.4%
12,300
23.2%
12,800
23.9%


Shetland Islands
2,900
24.9%
2,700
23.5%
2,900
25.0%
2,900
25.1%


South Ayrshire
11,700
23.1%
12,100
24.0%
12,600
25.2%
13,100
26.5%


South Lanarkshire
34,500
22.9%
34,800
23.1%
35,800
23.9%
35,800
23.9%


Stirling
11,500
27.7%
10,600
25.5%
9,900
24.1%
9,800
23.8%


West Dunbartonshire
9,500
22.4%
9,000
21.4%
9,500
22.8%
8,800
21.2%


West Lothian
17,100
20.7%
17,600
21.0%
17,900
21.0%
17,500
20.5%



  2006

  

 
January 2006 to December 2006
April 2006 to March 2007
July 2006 to June 2007
October 2006 to September 2007


Level
Part-Time
Proportion Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time


Scotland
569,800
23.6%
571,800
23.7%
576,100
23.8%
574,600
23.7%


Local Authority Area
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Aberdeen City
27,300
24.8%
25,300
23.3%
25,900
23.5%
24,800
23.0%


Aberdeenshire
31,300
26.3%
34,300
28.3%
34,000
27.8%
33,200
27.5%


Angus
14,400
27.8%
13,800
27.1%
13,500
26.0%
12,700
24.8%


Argyll and Bute
10,400
24.8%
10,600
25.3%
10,700
25.4%
10,800
26.2%


Clackmannanshire
4,700
22.0%
4,600
20.8%
4,500
20.8%
4,700
22.2%


Dumfries and Galloway
18,600
27.1%
18,700
27.7%
18,900
28.1%
17,800
27.0%


Dundee City
17,600
27.8%
17,700
27.6%
17,600
27.4%
16,600
25.8%


East Ayrshire
12,200
23.1%
11,700
22.5%
11,900
23.0%
12,400
23.5%


East Dunbartonshire
12,300
23.8%
12,300
24.0%
11,900
23.7%
11,800
23.6%


East Lothian
11,100
25.6%
10,200
23.9%
10,300
24.4%
10,500
24.6%


East Renfrewshire
11,000
26.3%
11,000
26.6%
11,000
26.7%
11,100
26.6%


Edinburgh, City of
56,100
23.5%
56,700
23.6%
54,400
22.7%
56,200
23.4%


Eilean Siar 
3,700
30.0%
3,600
29.2%
3,900
31.3%
3,600
30.1%


Falkirk
17,200
23.7%
18,200
24.8%
18,100
24.8%
18,500
25.2%


Fife
39,900
23.6%
38,400
23.0%
40,900
24.3%
40,800
24.2%


Glasgow City
50,800
20.6%
48,800
19.8%
50,500
20.2%
52,100
20.6%


Highland
26,000
25.1%
25,900
24.5%
26,100
24.6%
26,100
24.6%


Inverclyde
8,400
23.3%
8,400
23.8%
8,400
24.3%
7,900
23.0%


Midlothian
9,900
25.2%
10,000
25.7%
10,400
26.8%
10,400
26.6%


Moray
9,700
23.5%
9,000
21.9%
8,800
21.8%
8,900
21.8%


North Ayrshire
13,500
23.2%
14,300
24.4%
15,300
25.9%
15,200
25.5%


North Lanarkshire
31,900
21.5%
32,700
21.8%
33,100
22.2%
32,800
22.0%


Orkney Islands
3,000
30.2%
2,900
29.0%
3,200
32.2%
3,400
33.1%


Perth and Kinross
16,800
25.8%
16,000
24.5%
16,000
24.4%
15,200
23.2%


Renfrewshire
18,500
22.7%
19,900
24.7%
19,600
24.3%
19,300
24.3%


Scottish Borders, The
11,900
23.1%
12,600
24.5%
12,800
24.6%
12,700
24.4%


Shetland Islands
2,900
25.3%
3,200
27.6%
3,200
28.0%
3,000
25.1%


South Ayrshire
11,400
23.2%
11,500
23.1%
11,200
22.4%
11,300
22.3%


South Lanarkshire
30,000
20.2%
31,000
21.0%
32,400
21.7%
33,100
21.9%


Stirling
10,100
25.2%
10,900
26.8%
10,900
26.7%
11,700
28.3%


West Dunbartonshire
9,100
21.6%
9,500
22.2%
9,100
21.5%
9,300
22.2%


West Lothian
18,400
22.0%
18,300
21.8%
17,300
20.8%
16,800
20.3%



  2005

  

 
January 2005 to
December 2005
April 2005 to
March 2006
July 2005 to
June 2006
October 2005 to
September 2006


Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time


Scotland
565,700
23.9%
569,400
24.0%
567,400
23.8%
564,600
23.6%


Local Authority Area
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Aberdeen City
28,000
26.3%
28,400
26.9%
28,400
26.8%
29,000
26.6%


Aberdeenshire
28,600
24.6%
28,100
24.2%
27,900
23.8%
29,900
25.4%


Angus
12,100
24.3%
12,300
24.6%
12,500
24.6%
13,200
26.0%


Argyll and Bute
9,000
22.8%
9,300
23.2%
9,500
23.4%
9,800
23.8%


Clackmannanshire
5,800
26.6%
5,600
26.2%
5,300
24.9%
4,900
22.9%


Dumfries and Galloway
17,900
26.4%
18,100
26.5%
18,000
26.2%
18,100
26.6%


Dundee City
15,800
25.2%
15,800
25.3%
15,700
25.4%
16,800
27.1%


East Ayrshire
12,000
23.6%
12,600
24.3%
12,300
23.6%
12,300
23.7%


East Dunbartonshire
13,100
25.6%
13,900
26.9%
13,900
26.4%
13,000
24.9%


East Lothian
11,600
27.2%
11,400
26.5%
11,200
25.9%
11,000
25.5%


East Renfrewshire
11,300
26.7%
11,100
26.3%
10,700
25.4%
10,800
25.8%


Edinburgh, City of
56,400
24.1%
56,700
24.0%
58,600
24.6%
56,300
23.7%


Eilean Siar 
3,900
31.5%
4,200
33.9%
4,200
34.1%
3,800
30.6%


Falkirk
15,000
21.2%
15,700
22.0%
15,400
21.5%
15,500
21.8%


Fife
39,500
23.4%
40,900
24.1%
40,600
23.8%
40,600
24.0%


Glasgow City
55,600
22.3%
53,200
21.7%
53,300
22.1%
50,500
20.7%


Highland
26,500
25.5%
25,200
24.7%
25,600
25.1%
25,900
25.3%


Inverclyde
8,100
22.8%
8,000
22.6%
8,100
22.9%
8,500
23.7%


Midlothian
10,000
26.1%
9,400
24.5%
9,600
24.5%
9,400
24.2%


Moray
9,800
24.6%
9,800
24.6%
10,000
24.6%
9,700
23.7%


North Ayrshire
13,800
23.4%
13,800
23.7%
12,900
22.4%
12,800
22.1%


North Lanarkshire
31,900
22.0%
32,700
22.5%
30,700
21.1%
30,800
21.3%


Orkney Islands
2,700
27.2%
2,900
28.6%
3,100
30.2%
3,000
29.9%


Perth and Kinross
14,600
23.2%
15,100
23.9%
15,400
24.1%
15,200
23.8%


Renfrewshire
17,600
22.4%
18,000
22.6%
19,300
24.0%
18,600
22.9%


Scottish Borders, The
12,900
25.6%
12,400
24.5%
11,300
22.5%
11,500
22.6%


Shetland Islands
2,900
25.0%
2,900
25.3%
2,900
25.6%
2,900
26.0%


South Ayrshire
11,900
24.3%
11,700
23.8%
11,600
23.6%
11,500
23.4%


South Lanarkshire
29,700
21.1%
31,700
22.2%
29,900
21.0%
30,100
20.8%


Stirling
11,100
27.6%
11,000
27.1%
10,900
27.1%
10,100
25.0%


West Dunbartonshire
8,900
21.8%
9,300
22.8%
9,400
22.9%
9,500
22.4%


West Lothian
17,700
22.3%
18,400
22.9%
19,300
23.5%
19,800
24.0%



  2004

  

 
January 2004 to
December 2004
April 2004 to
March 2005
July 2004 to
June 2005
October 2004 to
September 2005


Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time
Level
Part-Time
Proportion
Part-Time


All
562,700
23.9%
559,800
23.7%
558,500
23.7%
561,200
23.8%


Local Authority Area
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Aberdeen City
26,100
25.5%
25,800
24.8%
26,300
25.2%
27,300
26.3%


Aberdeenshire
28,300
24.8%
27,900
24.5%
27,200
24.1%
28,000
24.5%


Angus
12,300
25.1%
11,700
23.9%
12,100
24.7%
11,800
23.8%


Argyll and Bute
9,900
24.7%
9,700
24.4%
9,000
22.8%
9,200
23.2%


Clackmannanshire
5,200
24.6%
5,600
25.8%
6,000
27.3%
6,000
27.4%


Dumfries and Galloway
17,500
25.8%
17,700
26.2%
17,400
25.8%
17,400
25.4%


Dundee City
15,000
25.1%
15,800
25.7%
16,100
25.4%
14,700
23.7%


East Ayrshire
11,700
22.3%
11,400
22.0%
11,100
21.5%
12,000
23.4%


East Dunbartonshire
12,900
24.7%
12,700
24.4%
12,600
24.6%
12,800
25.2%


East Lothian
10,300
24.8%
11,300
26.8%
11,200
26.2%
11,400
26.5%


East Renfrewshire
10,500
24.7%
11,200
25.9%
11,100
26.2%
11,400
26.9%


Edinburgh, City of
54,100
24.0%
55,900
24.5%
53,100
23.6%
54,800
23.8%


Eilean Siar 
3,100
25.7%
3,500
29.1%
3,600
29.6%
3,800
31.0%


Falkirk
15,300
21.8%
14,900
21.3%
14,900
21.2%
15,000
21.4%


Fife
42,800
25.2%
42,400
25.1%
39,400
23.5%
39,100
23.0%


Glasgow City
49,700
20.5%
49,600
20.3%
54,000
21.6%
54,600
22.2%


Highland
29,300
28.0%
28,600
27.1%
27,300
26.0%
27,300
26.3%


Inverclyde
8,600
24.8%
8,200
23.4%
8,100
23.2%
8,200
23.3%


Midlothian
10,200
26.1%
10,400
26.3%
10,500
27.2%
10,600
27.3%


Moray
10,400
26.0%
9,500
23.7%
9,900
24.8%
10,100
25.1%


North Ayrshire
13,500
24.1%
13,300
23.3%
13,700
23.4%
13,900
23.6%


North Lanarkshire
30,800
21.5%
30,800
21.5%
32,400
22.7%
31,300
21.7%


Orkney Islands
2,600
26.6%
2,600
27.3%
2,600
26.4%
2,700
26.8%


Perth and Kinross
15,600
24.9%
15,100
24.1%
14,600
23.4%
15,800
24.8%


Renfrewshire
18,100
22.8%
17,700
22.2%
17,600
22.5%
17,000
21.6%


Scottish Borders, The
13,200
25.7%
12,900
25.2%
13,600
26.8%
13,700
27.3%


Shetland Islands
3,400
29.1%
3,100
27.0%
2,900
25.7%
2,900
25.7%


South Ayrshire
13,600
27.6%
13,100
26.5%
13,000
27.0%
13,000
26.5%


South Lanarkshire
29,900
20.9%
30,100
21.2%
29,900
21.1%
29,100
20.7%


Stirling
11,300
27.9%
11,100
27.5%
11,200
28.2%
10,900
27.2%


West Dunbartonshire
9,900
24.2%
9,400
23.1%
9,000
22.5%
9,100
22.6%


West Lothian
17,700
21.5%
17,000
20.7%
16,800
20.3%
16,200
20.1%



  Source: Annual Population Survey.

  Notes:

  1. Working age is males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59.

  2. Respondents self-define whether they work full-time or part-time in the APS.

Enterprise

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (b) Scottish Enterprise must seek its approval for their policies on undertaking rent reviews of commercial premises leased by them to businesses.

Jim Mather: Reviewing rents on commercial properties leased from Highlands and Islands Enterprise or Scottish Enterprise is an operational matter for those bodies and does not require Scottish Government approval, providing that the policies in place within each organisation are consistent with the overarching guidance set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what quantity of drugs has been recovered in the Strathclyde Police force area in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) sub-division and (b) type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: Data on drug seizures is available by police force region and not by sub-division.

  Figures for the years 1999 to 2006-07 are given in the following publications list, copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre. The following table provide details of quantities of drug seizures by class.

  

Year of Seizures
Publication
Tables
Bib. Number


1999
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2001
104
20860


2000
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2002
E2.2
27706


2001
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2003
E2.2
32141


2002
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2004
E2.2
36121


2003
Drug Misuse Statistics Scotland 2005
D2.2
38474


2004-05 and2005-06
Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, 2004-2005 and 2005-2006
15,16,17, 18,19,20
42386


2005-06 and2006-07
Drug Seizures by Scottish Police Forces, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007
15,16,17, 18,19,20
45847

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged by Strathclyde Police for possession of illegal drugs in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) sub-division and (b) type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: The information requested is not held centrally.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people accused in assault cases in each Strathclyde Police force sub-division in each year since 1999 was under the influence of (a) alcohol and (b) drugs at the time of the offence.

Fergus Ewing: Information on whether people accused in assault cases were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the offence is not held centrally.

  Data is available for crimes/offences related to alcohol or drugs where the involvement of alcohol or drugs is implicit in the offence, such as drunk/drug driving, drunkenness, general drugs/drugging offences (for example possession with intent to supply), contravention of liquor licensing laws, offences by licensed persons and consumption of alcohol in designated places prohibited by byelaws.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people accused in rape cases in each Strathclyde Police force division area in each year since 1999 was under the influence of (a) alcohol and (b) drugs at the time of the offence.

Fergus Ewing: Information on whether people accused in rape cases were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the offence is not held centrally.

  Data is available for crimes/offences related to alcohol or drugs where the involvement of alcohol or drugs is implicit in the offence, such as drunk/drug driving, drunkenness, general drugs/drugging offences (for example possession with intent to supply), contravention of liquor licensing laws, offences by licensed persons and consumption of alcohol in designated places prohibited by byelaws.

National Conversation

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of the total cost of drafting, researching, printing, production and distribution of the document, An Oil Fund for Scotland: Taking forward our National Conversation .

John Swinney: An Oil Fund for Scotland: Taking forward our National Conversation was produced internally and built upon existing knowledge and research as part of the government’s purpose of achieving sustainable economic growth which includes the management of all our resources, including non-renewable assets such as Scotland’s oil and gas reserves. The total cost of printing, and translating the foreword and executive summary into Gaelic, was £4,362.41. The cost of distribution was £79.40.

Nutrition

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is confident that it will meet the SNP manifesto pledge to ensure that all primary school children receive free fruit and to provide free fruit for pregnant women and pre-school children using the model of market-led pregnancy cards from the major supermarkets.

Adam Ingram: We have every reason to be confident of meeting this pledge as the majority of local authorities have extended their free school fruit scheme beyond P1 and P2 pupils already, and we are currently exploring the possibility of securing funding for 10/11 from the EU under the "EU school fruit scheme", to extend provision of free school fruit further.

  In addition, in June 2008 we published Healthy Eating Active Living – An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity. This included a commitment to broaden out the pledge to provide free fruit to pregnant women and pre-school children using the model of market-led pregnancy cards from the major supermarkets, to encompass maternal and infant nutrition generally and not limited to specific models.

  In September 2008, I announced support of £19 million available to NHS health boards over the period 2008-11 to improve the nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged areas. The broad criteria within which NHS boards have been asked to work include increasing uptake of the healthy start scheme, to ensure that everyone who is eligible to claim vouchers to exchange for fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula does so; supporting work on increasing breastfeeding rates and investing in training for health professionals. Years one and two of that funding have already been allocated to NHS boards. Details of the allocation were outlined in CEL 36(2008) Nutrition of women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children under five in disadvantaged areas, which can be found at:

  http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2008_36.pdf.

Roads

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the design manual for roads and bridges recommends for opening year economic traffic flow levels for the various sections of the new M80 from Stepps to Haggs.

Stewart Stevenson: The new road has been designed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges .

Scottish Government Budget

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its hospitality budget has been spent on alcoholic beverages since May 2007, broken down by directorate.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

Scottish Government Budget

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its hospitality budget has been spent on food since May 2007, broken down by directorate.

John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.

Smoking

2 September 2009..Index Heading: Health and Wellbeing.Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review and amend the protocol or guidance on test purchasing of tobacco to allow for increased levels of testing and, in particular, to reduce the need to involve four adults.

Shona Robison: The development of the set of suggested procedures for local authorities to adopt for the test purchasing of tobacco (and other age-restricted goods) set out in A Practical Guide To Test Purchasing in Scotland , which was published in October 2007, was overseen by the Scottish Government-led Age-restricted Products Enforcement Working Group and were the result of extensive dialogue with both enforcement agencies, the Society for Chief Officers for Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPOS), and other key interests such as the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), the retail sector and organisations representing the interests of young people. The suggested approach draws on the practical experience gained in the tobacco and alcohol test purchasing pilots undertaken in 2004 and 2006 respectively and is intended to ensure that test purchasing is not only conducted in a fair, effective and even handed manner but that the safety and welfare of the young test purchasers is protected at all times. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/10/16091941 .

  Test purchasing activity is, of course, a valuable enforcement tool but it should not be viewed in isolation from other aspects of the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme to which all local authorities have signed up, such as advice and support to retailers to avoid underage sales. Decisions on specific enforcement policies and actions will necessarily reflect local needs and circumstances and the guide is purely intended to assist such local decision making. Bearing in mind that the welfare and safety of the young test purchaser is paramount, the guide suggests a minimum of two officers should accompany the child or young person during the test purchasing visit. However, it also acknowledges this may not be necessary for young people over 16 and, ultimately, it is for each local authority to determine the safeguards required to protect the interests of the test purchaser based on the individual circumstances of an operation.

  In these circumstances, while the procedures set out in the guide will continue to be kept under active review in light of their practical application, the Scottish Government has no plans to substantially alter them at this stage.

Smoking

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the protocol or guidance for test purchasing of tobacco to allow the testing young person to give a false age, if asked, to ensure that the seller requests identification.

Shona Robison: Scottish prosecution policy was revised in 2005 to allow test purchasing to be used to enforce tobacco sales law for the first time in Scotland. Suggested procedures for local authorities to adopt for undertaking test purchasing in light of this decision are set out in A Practical Guide To Test Purchasing in Scotland , which was published in October 2007:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/10/16091941.

  In developing these, the Scottish Government-led Age-restricted Products Enforcement Working Group was conscious of the fact that parallel guidance for England and Wales was altered in 2006 to make provision in limited exceptional circumstances for young people to answer untruthfully about their age when attempting a test purchase. Test purchasing has long been a feature of enforcement activity in England and Wales but, given that test purchasing in Scotland is in its comparative infancy and the different judicial system within which it is operated, it was concluded that it would be inappropriate at the present time to adopt a similar approach in Scotland. This stance has the support of all the key interests involved including the Society for Chief Officers for Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPOS), and the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

  Although the procedures set out in the guide will continue to be kept under active review in the light of any developing operational considerations, the Scottish Government has no plans to substantially alter them at this stage.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Finance

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it expects its audited accounts for 2008-09 to be published.

Tom McCabe: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will publish its 2008-09 audited accounts in November 2009.

Parliamentary Visitors

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will now review its decision to close the Parliament building to the public on Sundays.

Tricia Marwick: : The SPCB decided that the Parliament building would close to general public visitors on Sundays, with effect from Sunday 10 February 2008. This change was part of the SPCB’s wider considerations on how to best use our resources to achieve the aims in our management plan, including public engagement.

  Visitor statistics illustrated that numbers of visitors remained proportionately very low on Sundays; the majority of visitors arriving during the working week when Parliament is sitting and when there is an opportunity to see parliament in action and meet with MSPs.

  The change to public opening does not affect members’ ability to sign-in guests on Sundays, and catering provision is maintained for such guests in the Garden Restaurant.

  The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body therefore has no plans at this time to review opening of the Parliament building to the public on Sundays.